#killing field

[k-i-l-l-e-r-b-e-e-6-9]

Cambodia, between 1975 and 1979, in just 4 years it is estimated that 1.7 million were killed by dictator Pol Pot (1925-1998)

*  Skulls of Khmer Rouge victims

[thealexmachina]

Killing Field - Chapter 20 - These Wars, They Can’t Be Won

Deja vu hits fast. Nothing changes here, sand and rock and desolation. Danger in the air. Getting in is the easy part. The border is heavily policed, but bribes open all doors, including into the killing field that nearly the entirety of Syria has become. Fresh offensive is underway. The idea of a safe zone across northern Syria has surfaced again, despite the many disagreements that remain for both allied Turkey and US. Both Archangel and UN sources confirm new incoming resolutions between Turkey and Russia, following negotiations behind closed doors. If they are serious about getting Wrex’s family out of Syria, a better moment is unlikely. Despite the fact that Turkey happily uses Syrian Free Army forces to push into the country’s northern areas, fighting both Assad and Islamic State forces, it also wants People’s Protection Units to move east of Euphrates once the area has been occupied. And though Idlib is far outside of the stretch of land being disputed, the future looks bleak for Syrian Kurds like Wrex and his family. Bleaker; it was never rosy to begin with.

From the small NATO-run observation post in southern Idlib where they land, Jane and Garrus take about six hours to reach the meeting point with the other two squad members. They take several detours and slow down to a crawl to ensure they’re not followed, especially since the particulars of how Arterius found out about Archangel remain another damn knot to untangle. Being in Syria has never felt like a walk in the park. These latest political and military developments, on the trail of years of open conflict, are the lit matchbox thrown into a stack of gunpowder barrels. The countryside is a literal minefield, explosives planted by retreating ISIL fighters to stop aid incoming as one more fuck you to the communities they shredded to pieces. Not even the Red Cross insignia on their battered Toyota pick up truck can save them if they run into trouble, though there’s a healthy arsenal of weapons Garrus insisted they bring along, stashed neatly between the front and back seats.

(Read rest on AO3.)

[lonelinessfollowsme]

The Civil War: Killing Field

[kumimonster]

2018 September 16 - Siem Reap

[thealexmachina]

Killing Field - Chapter 19 - Fractured Identity

Frustrating. Delay after delay until Kaidan has no idea if they’re even looking into Archangel or not. First Shepard shuts down, spends hours locked in meetings with Anderson. Then she fucks off to Europe with instructions to leave Archangel to her. To him, she says keep working on Saren. And now they’re all packing up and traveling to Netherlands to regroup. Even Anderson. Something is going on, but he’s not in the loop. It’s frustrating.

A C-130 Hercules is scheduled to depart to Rotterdam from Schenectady County Airport that evening. Ten-hour flight gives him plenty of time to get some info out of Anderson. He hates second-guessing the commander, the feeling of being on the outside without a look in like acid in his gut.

Williams shares his concern about Archangel, but not his sense of urgency. Her idea of duty is a steadfast trust in leadership. She awaits orders, simple as that. She’s known Shepard for far less time yet Ashley trusts the commander implicitly.

Information is power, though. More than power; empowerment. And that’s something that Shepard always passed onto her squad, the ability to take action and use their judgement to get shit done. Which is why the current situation is even more suspicious. There are tens of things he could be doing, instead of being relegated to crunch data like a grunt. Not for the first time today, he misses smoking to relief stress. No amount of new habits has replaced the need to light a cigarette, even though he’s gone for two years without a smoke. On the plus side, he doesn’t have to swelter in the New York sun to get his fix. As early as 7am, when he arrived at the UN headquarters, the pavement simmered under a summer heatwave. He settles for a cold Coke instead, the sugar and caffeine kick welcome.

(Read rest on AO3.)

[thealexmachina]

Killing Field - a Mass Effect contemporary AU story

*NEW* Chapter 14 - Ghosts and Shadows (rated E for language, violence and gore)

[thealexmachina]

Killing Field - Chapter 18 - Burning the Candle at Both Ends

The days drag. Yesterday did, and the day before that. It’s not the lack of work; he’s spoken to Tali today already, and Wrex. Every day, Alenko’s daily status reports arrive in his inbox. There’s plenty to do. He just hasn’t spoken to Shepard in six days, since he left New York after dropping yet another bombshell on her.

The limbo grates more than anything. This state of waiting. Going to bed not knowing what happens tomorrow, instincts atuned to a very different kind of danger, one he didn’t expect would follow into his childhood home.

The crew in London went into contingency mode before he even boarded the plane to return to France, office shut down, mail rerouted, most legal entities dissolved. Ripper and Weaver are still in Europe, the only ones with families to care for. The rest of the crew has split up, no more than two in one place, new identities at the ready. Archangel is still up and running, ready to fight back. Garrus focuses on investigating how has Arterius even learned of the group’s existence, nevermind going as far as linking them to the tragedies in Jordan and Syria. Every bone in his body screams that he too should run, hide. His head says there’s no running from this one though, not without taking his father and Solana down that path. He’s not ready for their entire life to implode.

(Read rest on AO3)

[thealexmachina]

Killing Field - Chapter 17 - Harm Is Coming Your Way

Paris has to wait. At Captain Anderson’s request, the Security Council called an emergency meeting at the UN headquarters. A consultation, rather than a public meeting, avoiding the scrutiny of the media and the pomp of formal conferences. Jane has been called to provide evidence in support of the motion to suspend the immunity of the French delegate, a procedure highly irregular even for a forum used to dealing with some of the biggest conflicts throughout the world.

Garrus fosters suspicions about how effective this course of action is. United Nations Sec Council has attracted criticism over many years about slow or even non-existent reaction to important events. From Darfur to Srebenica, the lack of military infrastructure and forces to deploy along its peacekeeping missions means the Council’s failures are more famous than any of its achievements. Its permanent members, predominantly white, Western powers, don’t cover themselves in glory, their political or economical interest often at odds with the need to protect vulnerable populations or deal swift punishment to nations to deter armed conflict. Yet, Garrus signed up for this when he joined Jane’s squad. Doing things the legal way remains the one course of action that guarantees long term success.

JFK is busy and loud as always. He uses his American passport to go through immigration controls; it makes dealing with TSA much easier. Low fuss means fewer eyes on him and the less of a trace he leaves wherever he goes, the better. Weaver would be proud; years ago he couldn’t wait to challenge anyone who even looked at him wrong. Now he holds his head down, replies to questions meekly and thanks the officers for the grand favour of not questioning his travel history and allowing him back into his own country. Well, his mother’s country. The more time he spends away, since her death, the more the attachment he once felt erodes.

In the throng of people exiting the arrivals area, busy getting a Lyft quote, he nearly misses the C-Sec sign scribbled on a white piece of cardboard. Jane smiles fondly up to him when he stops in front of her. They never talked about this, but the familiarity of her showing up to greet him packs a big punch. “This is a surprise,” he says, returning her smile.

(Read rest on AO3)